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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Why I'm Running: Connie Grubbs, Campbell County Commissioner

My name is Connie Grubbs and I am the only Democratic candidate for Campbell County Commissioner, running in district 1. If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be running for local office, I would not have believed it. I was still nursing my infant son while wiping my daughter’s adorable, but runny, nose. Yet those two beautiful children are a large part of why I’m running. I want them to grow up in a Campbell County that maintains its rich traditions, beautiful landscapes, and family farms while at the same time looking ahead to a future full of enterprise and opportunity for all of our families.

I didn’t grow up in Campbell County or even Kentucky. My husband, Zack, and I have chosen to raise our family here. We both work in the arts in Cincinnati; he is a ballet dancer and teacher at Cincinnati Ballet, while I stage manage at Cincinnati Opera. We both fell in love with Campbell County and Fort Thomas specifically when looking for our new home and a place to raise our growing family. It was a very deliberate choice. Some people might think this is a strike against me as I run for local office. I see it as a great strength. I bring with me perspectives from rural New Jersey, where I went to high school; from big cities, where I worked and lived in my 20s; and from suburbia, where I grew up. Each city in which I’ve lived has taught me something and I bring all of those experiences with me to the table.

My father was the first in his family to go to college. He grew up in a trailer park in a working class neighborhood. His father (my grandpa Pete) drove a bus for a living, managing to put a roof over their heads, food on their table, and send two of his three boys to college. This is the American dream - the son of an immigrant building a better life for his children. Now, this story of upward mobility is harder to come by. We are looking at the first generation in America to not do as well as their parents. I don’t want that for my kids or for yours. That is why I’m putting skin in the game and jumping into the political process with both feet. I want to make sure all of us have an opportunity to, not simply work our fingers to the bone to exist, but rise and thrive. Thriving means the average family has the ability to support an aging parent, be involved in their schools, have a safety net in place for an injured spouse, or simply be able to build their community in any way they want. Right now, too many families are one accident, injury, or aging parent away from poverty or bankruptcy.

My campaign boils down to a few simple and universal concepts:
· VALUES - I want a county that values work over wealth & reignites the American Dream for all of our people. Working people should be thriving, not just getting by.
· EDUCATION - investing in our children is investing in our future, not just theirs. Our public education systems in Campbell County are strong. We need to continue to strengthen, not weaken, them.
· TRANSPARENCY - I come to the table with a fresh ideas and new perspectives. I want to find solutions on behalf of the people with creative ideas & open debate, not simply be a rubber stamp. Transparency is key.
· PEOPLE FIRST – I believe in people over politics & party. I’m here to improve our county for all of its people.
· FORESIGHT - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let’s make great decisions, not just for today, but for 20 years into the future.

As campaign season gears up, I’m looking forward to talking to people about their ideas for a strong, sustainable Campbell County.